Department of Music

Fall 2020 Undergraduate Courses

MUSI 1310 Basic Musical Skills

3.0 credits

Section 1 (Justin Mueller): MWF / 9:00-9:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13488

Section 2 (Ben Rous): MWF / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13489

Section 3 (Justin Mueller): MWF / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13490

Study of the rudiments of music and training in the ability to read music. Prerequisite: No previous knowledge of music required.

MUSI 1993 Independent Study

1.0 - 3.0 credits
Instructor permission and instructor number required to enroll.

MUSI 2120 History of Jazz

Scott DeVeaux
3.0 credits
Section 100: Online Asynchronous
Class Number: 19533

Discussion Sections:

Section 101 (Tim Booth): M / 9:00-9:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19534

Section 102 (Tim Booth): M / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19535

Section 103 (Tim Booth): M / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19536

Section 107 (Hannah Young): F / 9:00-9:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19540

Section 108 (Hannah Young): F / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19541

Section 109 (Hannah Young): F / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19542

What is the soundscape of our quotidian (everyday) experience? How does it condition our consciousness, and what implicit cultural messages circulate within our ever-changing daily soundtracks? This course focuses our attention not on music highlighted in performance, but on that which we usually take for granted. A close look at how music works in our everyday lives can offer a new awareness of our ongoing experience, open us to choices we never thought we had, and get us wondering about the depths of aesthetic experience.

MUSI 2302 Keyboard Skills (Beginning)

2.0 credits, instructor permission

Section 1 (John Mayhood): TR / 11:00 am - 12:15 pm / New Cabell Hall 298
In Person with Remote Option
Class Number: 13491

Section 2 (John Mayhood): TR / 12:30-1:45 pm / New Cabell Hall 298
In Person with Remote Option
Class Number: 14611

Introductory keyboard skills; includes sight-reading, improvisation, and accompaniment at the keyboard in a variety of styles. No previous knowledge of music required. Satisfies the performance requirement for music majors.

MUSI 2307 Play Guitar!

Mike Rosensky
2.0 credits, instructor permission
MW / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 20770

MUSI 2308 Voice Class

Pam Beasley
2.0 credits, instructor permission
MW / 4:00-4:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 20780

An introductory course to basic vocal technique; discussion to include those elements essential for healthy singing in a variety of styles. Will involve group and solo singing to apply these elements. No previous voice training or musical background required.

MUSI 2340 Learn to Groove

Robert Jospe
2.0 credits

Section 1: MW / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 16864

Section 2: MW / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 16865

"Learn to Groove" hand drumming and rhythmic fluency with Robert Jospe. This is a hands on drumming/percussion class using congas, djembes, claves, shakers, etc. This class is designed to enhance ones knowledge of syncopated patterns associated with jazz, rock, African and Latin American music and to improve ones facility in playing these patterns. This course will follow my book "Learn To Groove" and can include music students, non music students and is open to students of all skill levels. The course requires that students have or purchase a hand drum of their own. Congas, bongos, djembes, doumbeks or any other hand drums are appropriate.

MUSI 2342 Learn to Groove Intermediate

Robert Jospe
2.0 credits
Section 1: MW / 1:00-1:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 16866

"Learn to Groove" hand drumming and rhythmic fluency with Robert Jospe. This is the intermediate level of the class. It is a hands on drumming/percussion class using congas, djembes, claves, shakers, etc. This class is designed to enhance ones knowledge of syncopated patterns associated with jazz, rock, African and Latin American music and to improve ones facility in playing these patterns.

MUSI 2350 Technosonics: Digital Music and Sound Art Composition

Luke Dahl
3.0 credits
Section 100: MW / 4:00-4:50 / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19543

Discussion Sections:

Section 101 (Basile Koechlin): M / 9:00-9:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19544

Section 102 (Basile Koechlin): M / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19545

Section 103 (Daniel Fishkin): M / 1:00-1:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19546

Section 104 (Ben Robertson): T / 3:30-4:20 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19547

Section 105 (Ben Robertson): T / 12:30-1:20 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19548

Section 106 (Ben Robertson): T / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19549

Section 107 (Becky Brown): W / 9:00-9:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19550

Section 108 (Becky Brown): W / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19551

Section 109 (Becky Brown): W / 1:00-1:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19552

Section 110 (Omar Fraire): R / 12:00-12:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19553

Section 111 (Omar Fraire): R / 1:00-1:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19554

Section 112 (Omar Fraire): R / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19555

Section 113 (Basile Koechlin): M / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19556

Section 114 (Daniel Fishkin): M / 12:00-12:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19557

Section 115 (Daniel Fishkin): F / 1:00-1:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19558

This class (www.technosonics.info) explores the history, theory and practice of digital music and sound art. Students learn tools and techniques of music technology that inform many genres and traditions. In addition to historical and theoretical concerns, students will experiment with digital tools for musical creation.

MUSI 2600 Jazz Improvisation

John D'earth
3.0 credits
TR / 3:30-5:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 14383

The Jazz Improvisation Workshop explores the basic techniques and procedures for improvising in jazz and other musical contexts. No previous jazz or improvising experience is required but students must demonstrate a degree of fluency on their main instrument, an ability to read music and some familiarity with the basics of music theory. An individual interview/audition with the instructor is required before registering for this class.

MUSI 2993: Independent Study

1.0 - 3.0 credits
Instructor permission and instructor number required to enroll.

MUSI 3010 Studies in Early Modern Music (1500-1700)

Bonnie Gordon
3.0 credits
TR / 11:00 am - 12:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19967

MUSI 3040 Studies in 20th- and 21st-Century Music

Joel Rubin
3.0 credits
TR / 11:00 am - 12:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19560

MUSI 3040, Studies in Twentieth and Twentieth-Century Music, covers the complex developments in Western art music (and beyond) from the early 20th century to the present. We study numerous compositional movements, composers and their works within the broader framework of social, cultural and political movements of the time. We will also read what the composers themselves and other writers from the time said about the music. While the course materials focus primarily on the Euro-American situation, we will also examine developments more globally, drawing on developments in popular, jazz, folk, and world musical traditions.

Class will be held online on zoom. Most class sessions will be held live in real-time.

Fulfills part of the 'Critical and comparative studies in music' requirement for majors. Prerequisite: MUSI 3310

MUSI 3050 Music and Discourse

Scott DeVeaux
3.0 credits
MWF / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 17099

Studies the range of music that has flourished in the twentieth century, including modernist and post-modern art music, popular music, and world music, through historical, critical, and ethnographic approaches.

MUSI 3070 Intro to Musical Ethnography

Nomi Dave
3.0 credits
TR / 9:30-10:45 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 15879

THIS IS A YEARLONG COURSE THROUGH THE COLLEGE’S CIVIC & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM.

Students will conduct fieldwork around Charlottesville, and will learn about the history, methods, and ethics of music ethnography. Fieldwork will build on the work done by students in 2019-20, to investigate the hidden voices and sites of music in Charlottesville. We will work together with community artists to create a musical map.

** Please note that students are not permitted to enroll for just one semester. **

MUSI 3310 Theory I

3.0 credits
GTA
MWF / 1:00-1:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13493

Studies pitch and formal organization in European concert music of the 18th and 19th centuries. Includes four-part vocal writing, 18th-century style keyboard accompaniment, key relations, and form. Students compose numerous short passages of music and study significant compositions by period composers.

MUSI 3332 and 3334 Musicianship I and II

2.0 credit

These lab courses give practical experience with many aspects of musical perception, performance, and creation. These will include sight-reading and sight-singing; dictation of melody, rhythm, and harmony; aural identification of intervals, chords, and rhythmic patterns; and exercises in musical memory and improvisation. Lectures, dictations, exercises, and quizzes will be in person on Mondays and Wednesdays. Singing and rhythm practice will be online on Fridays, and most homework assignments will also be completed online. Please contact Prof. Adam Carter with questions or concerns.

MUSI 3332 Musicianship I

Section 1
Adam Carter
MWF / 12:00-12:50 pm / OCH 101
In Person with Remote Option
Class Number: 13495

Section 2
Emily Mellen
MWF / 12:00-12:50 pm / TBA
In Person with Remote Option
Class Number: 13494

MUSI 3334 Musicianship II

Emily Mellen
MWF / 12:00-12:50 pm / New Cabell Hall 298
In Person with Remote Option
Class Number: 15066

MUSI 3350 Deep Listening

Fred Maus
1.0 credit
W / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19677

Exploration of collective activities that involve listening and making sound together, and other interactions, at the intersection of music-making and contemplative practices, drawing on the work of Pauline Oliveros, the Fluxus artists, and other musicians and thinkers. Weekly reading assignments for conceptualization in relation to the experiential component; weekly email responses to readings along with several brief reflective papers.

MUSI 3370 Songwriting

Ted Coffey
3.0 credits
TR / 2:00-3:15 pm / New Cabell Hall 298
Hybrid with Remote Option
Class Number: 19564

The goal of this course is to delve into songwriting; to develop your aural, analytic and creative abilities and to join them together in understanding and composing songs. You will learn about rhythm, melodic design, harmonic progression, lyrics and song forms. You will also work on eartraining, so that concepts you learn will be sonically meaningful. We will consider examples from a broad musical spectrum: blues, folk, tin pan alley, musicals, R & B, rock & roll, hip hop. We will also discuss the issues that songwriters encounter. You will have the opportunity to suggest songs for study, and some assignments will be done in groups. In these situations, we will organize groups that have complementary abilities for in-class performances. The Lab is a required part of the class, and you must sign up for a lab section. During the lab you will go over concepts we are covering in class, as well as work on additional eartraining, analysis and creative projects.

MUSI 3372 Writing Rap

A.D. Carson
3.0 credits
TR / 8:00-9:15 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 20768

This course focuses on the craft of writing raps. It is not necessary that students have previous experience writing raps to take this course. Students will listen to, attempt to deconstruct, and evaluate a broad range of rap music while learning the basics of composing lyrics. Along with writing raps, students will learn songwriting techniques and some theoretical approaches to composing larger works such as a “mixtape” or “album” through examinations of music, criticism, and literature.

MUSI 3390 Introduction to Computers and Music

Leah Reid
3.0 credits
Section 100: TR / 9:30-10:45 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 16766

Discussion Sections:

Section 101 (Ben Robertson): M / 9:00-9:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 16934

Section 102 (Ben Robertson): M / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 16935

Section 103 (Ben Robertson): M / 1:00-1:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 16936

Introduction to Music and Computers is an upper-level introductory course in music technology. Students gain theoretical, historical and practical knowledge of electronic and computer music. An emphasis is placed on creative hands-on experience composing music via digital technologies. Theoretical and practical topics include acoustics, recording, editing and mixing, MIDI, sound synthesis, and audio DSP. Students learn a host of skills and technologies useful for working with digital audio.

3390 fulfills the composition requirement of the Music Major. This is a composition class and key assignments are creative in nature. Note that you MUST register for the Lab (0 credits) as well as the course.

MUSI 3410 Orchestration I: Anatomy of the Orchestra

Ben Rous
3.0 credits
Section 100: MWF / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19649

Discussion Sections:

Section 101 (Chris Luna): F / 9:00-9:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19650

Section 102 (Chris Luna): F / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19651

Section 103 (Chris Luna): F / 1:00-1:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19536

This course will examine the symphony orchestra in detail, equipping students with all necessary skills to arrange or compose for any ensemble. We will learn the capabilities of every orchestral instrument, and study how they are combined by master composers. Students will create arrangements for string quartet, woodwind quintet, and full orchestra. The majority of these projects will receive readings by ensembles.

Projects may be completed with notation software or may be handwritten. No previous composition or arranging experience is necessary, but fluency in musical notation and familiarity with the basics of music theory are required.

MUSI 3559 New Course in Music
Topic: The Classical Style: Form in Tonal Music

Michael Puri
3.0 credits
TR / 9:30-10:45 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19565

This 3-credit seminar is a rigorous inquiry into the structure of western classical music of the late eighteenth century. The first half of the course focuses on issues of harmony (idiomatic progressions, mixture, sequences, etc.), while the second delves into the array of forms within this tradition (phrase types, binary and ternary forms, sonata form, etc.). By the end of the course, students should be able to grasp this music—both by reading its notated scores and listening to its sound—with fluency and comprehension. Repertoire for analysis includes works by prominent female (Auenbrugger, Martínez) and male (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert) composers of the era. Students will choose between an analysis paper or a model composition for their final project. MUSI 3310 (Music Theory 1) is a prerequisite. 

Most of the course will be online-asynchronous to accommodate distant learners, but students will also have online synchronous opportunities to interact with the instructor and with each other. The instructor has written a reader specifically for this course and supplemented it with many musical examples and short instructional videos. All materials are free and available for download by registered students. 

MUSI 3570 Music Cultures
Topic: Curating Sound: Art, Ethnography, Practice

Noel Lobley
3.0 credits
MW / 2:00-3:15 pm / New Cabell 298
In Person with Remote Option
Class Number: 16764

This practical and discovery-driven design course explores the intersections of curatorial practice, sound studies, ethnography, composition, sound art, and community arts practice, through a series of engagements linking archival collections, local and international artists and art and community spaces, and the method and philosophies of embodied and experiential deep listening. Drawing from both the histories and potential affordances of sound curation we engage with practical examples ranging from sub-Saharan Africa to Australia, and from Europe to New York, asking what it means to curate local sound within globalized arts circuits. We will explore multiple and diverse case studies where artists, curators, communities, industries and institutions have both collaborated and clashed, as we ask whether it is desirable or even possible to curate the elusive, invasive and ephemeral object, medium and experience of sound.

Throughout the entire course we will be working closely with professional artists and curators including Around HipHop Live Café and the Black Power Station (Makhanda, South Africa), the Kluge Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection (UVA/ Australia), and MOMENTNYC (New York). Our work will be to design content for live exhibitions linking Charlottesville with South Africa, Australia and New York.

MUSI 3993 Independent Study

1.0-3.0 credits
Instructor permission and instructor number required to enroll.

MUSI 4065 The "Black Voice"

A.D. Carson
3.0 credits
TR / 9:30-11:00 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 21094

This course focuses on critical analyses of and questions concerning “The Black Voice” as it pertains to hip-hop culture, particularly rap and related popular musics. Students will read, analyze, discuss a wide range of thinkers [artists included] to explore many conceptions and definitions of “Blackness” while examining popular artists and the statements they make in [and about] their art.

MUSI 4509 Cultural & Historical Studies
Topic: Music in Relation to Sexuality and Disability

Fred Maus
3.0 credits
W / 2:00-4:30 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19566

MUSI 4533 Advanced Musicianship

Michael Slon
2.0 credits
MW / 2:00-2:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 19567

The class provides excellent training in practical musical methods and skills, with a small faculty-student ratio, and will focus on further developing:

• the ear for harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic dictation from played excerpts and recordings
• audiation skills (listening mentally - see this website for more info: http://giml.org/mlt/audiation/), and aural error detection
• score reading ability on several lines and in multiple clefs
• advanced rhythmic security and sight-reading
• understanding of form and musical analysis
• basic improvisation/composition skills

Prerequisite: Completion or placement out of Musicianship I or II

MUSI 4545 Computer Applications in Music
Topic: Designing Audio Effect Plugins

Luke Dahl
3.0 credits
MW / 10:00-11:15 pm / New Cabell 298
In Person with Remote Option
Class Number: 16768

Audio effects are common and useful tools used in the recording, mixing, and mastering of music and sound, as well as in sound design.

This course focuses on understanding, designing and implementing audio effects, and using them for musical projects. We will cover the signal processing involved in effects such as EQ, delay, chorus, flanger, reverb, distortion, and compression, and we will implement these effects as VST or AudioUnit plug-ins by programming in C/C++ and using the JUCE framework. We will emphasize the musical application of our designs, and as a final project students will create a unique new effect that addresses their own musical goals. 

Enrollment is by instructor permission. Students are expected to have experience using digital audio tools, and to have a music-making or sound-based practice. Previous programming experience is _very_ helpful, but not required if you are enthusiastic and able to learn quickly!

MUSI 4547 Materials of Contemporary Music
Topic: Creating Art Within Pandemic Constraints

Leah Reid
3.0 credits
W / 2:00-4:30 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 21217

MUSI 4547 is a workshop/seminar style course focused on creating art within pandemic constraints. Constraints, whether voluntary or imposed, can lead to opportunities for creative growth. Weekly online synchronous classes will focus on discussion and analysis of artistic approaches, views of art/music created since March and during pandemics of the past, collaboration, support, invention, and sharing of work.

Coursework will consist of readings, presentations, written research prompts, listening, creative assignments, and a final project. We will focus on creating and workshopping the kind of art/music that finds pandemic conditions ideal. 

Any artistic or creative medium is welcome and encouraged. Performers, composers, writers, film makers, designers, architects, visual artists, and dancers are especially encouraged to apply.

Prerequisite: Instructor Permission

MUSI 4600 Performance with Computers

Matthew Burtner
4.0 credits
TR / 2:00-3:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 15421

Lab (Juan Vasquez): T / 3:30-4:30 / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 15422

 “Performance with Computers” (MUSI 4600) will teach Max/MSP/Jitter music and video programming for live performance, this semester we will focus on network-based musical performance. As we survive a present without in-person concerts, and look to a future in which live music events may be increasingly organized telematically, musicians can benefit from understanding interactive music and video tools, techniques and theory. This altering musical landscape presents extreme challenges, but it will also create new opportunities for those with knowledge of emerging interactive media technology and aesthetics. MUSI 4600 is a multifaceted class, involving lectures focused on aesthetics and theory, seminar discussions based on readings in interactive media, labs and hacking sessions focused on programming in Max/MSP/Jitter, and group collaborative jams using our instruments and/or computers.

This class is designed as a synchronous online course, with some material presented asynchronously as appropriate. There will be ample opportunity for in-person discussion both in class and labs and through office hours. Students should plan to attend the class on Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-3:15, and to participate in a lab each week which will be scheduled separately. The labs will teach programming techniques needed to complete a series of assignments and projects. Our class will also become a Mobile Interactive Computer Ensemble (MICE) and we will compose and perform a collaborative network ensemble piece to present online at the end of the semester.

No previous programming experience is required. An introductory composition and computer music class such as Intro to Computers in Music, Ecoacoustics, Songwriting, or Intro to Composition, or equivalent experience by instructor permission is prerequisite. Students are not required to play a musical instrument although musicians will find it useful to incorporate their instruments into the computer music framework.

Students should have access to a Mac OS or Windows computer with a network connection capable of running Zoom.

Each student should also purchase and install the Max software from Cycling74.com (student license is either $9.99 per month or $59 for a year). This software package includes Max, MSP and Jitter. Additional tools and readings will be provided digitally through Collab.

MUSI 4581 Composition I

Leah Reid
3.0 credits
TR / 12:30-1:45 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 21216

MUSI 4581 is an upper level music composition course. Students will receive a combination of individual online lessons and synchronous online group sessions. The course will provide a forum for students to listen, discuss, workshop, develop, and explore inspirations, compositions, and ideas.

Over the course of the semester, students are expected to compose a large-scale work or a series of smaller works in the style of their choosing. Students may compose electronic, acoustic, or electroacoustic music. 

4581 fulfills the composition requirement of the Music Major. The course can be repeated for credit with approval of the instructor.

Prerequisite: Students are expected to have some prior composition experience and should be comfortable with standard music notation or DAWs. While not required, it is recommended that students have taken MUSI 3380, 3390, participated in UVA’s Composers Collective, or taken another music composition course prior to taking MUSI 4581.

Fall 2020 Graduate Courses

MUSI 7510 Studies in Music and Memory
Topic: Music & Memory

Karl Miller
3.0 credits
R / 9:30am-12:00pm / Online Sycronous
Class Number: 19568

MUSI 7511 Introduction to Research

Nomi Dave
3.0 credits
W / 9:30am-12:00pm / Online Sycronous
Class Number: 19569

MUSI 7526 Topics in Ethnomusicology

Noel Lobley
3.0 credits
T / 9:30am-12:00pm / Online Sycronous
Class Number: 15885

MUSI 7547 Materials of Contemporary Music

Ted Coffey
3.0 credits
T / 5:00-7:30 pm / New Cabell Hall 299A
Hybrid with Remote Option
Class Number: 19738

MUSI 7583 Proseminar in Computer Music Compostion

Matthew Burtner
3.0 credits
W / 2:00-4:30 pm / Online Sycronous
Class Number: 19952

Fall 2020 Curricular Ensembles

MUBD 2610, 2620, 2630 and 2640: Marching Band I-IV

Drew Koch
2.0 credits
TR (5:30-9:30 pm) & F (6:30-8:30 pm) / Hunter Smith Band Building

MUBD 2610
Class Number: 13437

MUBD 2620
Class Number: 13438

MUBD 2630 
Class Number: 13439

MUBD 2640
Class Number: 13440

The Cavalier Marching Band is open to all students at the University of Virginia by audition. The band is comprised of members from nearly every major at UVA. A normal practice schedule is twice a week, with additional Friday practices on home game weeks. Attendance is mandatory at our band camp in August. There are no fees to be in the Cavalier marching Band. IF you are interested please contact the bands office at 434.982.5347.

MUEN 3600 Jazz Ensemble

John D'earth
2.0 credits
MR / 7:30-9:30 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13441

Led by internationally recognized jazz trumpeter/composer John D'earth, the Jazz Ensemble is a full-sized jazz big band, whose focus includes “head arrangements” group improvisation, world music and original compositions from within the band, along with music ranging from swing to bop to fusion. You'll gain valuable experience in ensemble playing and in the art of solo improvisation, and may take private instruction in jazz improvisation, perform in small combos and participate in jazz workshops held by such major figures as Michael Brecker, John Abercrombi, Dave Leibman, Bob Moses, Clark Terry, and Joe Henderson.

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 3610 Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia

Ben Rous, Conductor
2.0 credits

Strings

Section 100: W / 7:30-10:00 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 13442

Sectionals: M / 5:30-7:00 pm

Section 101: Pete Spaar (Double Bass) / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13444

Section 102: Adam Carter (Cello) / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13445

Section 103: Ayn Balija (Viola) / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13446

Section 104: Daniel Sender (Violin) / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13447

Section 105: David Sariti (Violin) / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13448

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

Brass / Woodwinds / Percussion

Section 200: W / 7:30-10:00 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 13443

Sectionals: 

Section 201: Elizabeth Roberts (Bassoon) / W / 5:15-6:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 17085

Section 202: Katy Ambrose (Horn) / W / 6:00-7:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 17086

Section 203: Kelly Peral (Oboe) / W / 5:15-6:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13450

Section 204: Jiyeon Choi (Clarinet) / W / 5:15-6:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 17087

Section 205: Kelly Sulick (Flute) / W / 5:15-6:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13449

Section 206: Nate Lee (Trombone) / W / 6:00-7:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13453

Section 207: Arthur Zanin (Trumpet) / W / 6:00-7:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13452

Section 208: I-Jen Fang (Percussion) / W / 6:00-7:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13451

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 3620 Wind Ensemble

Drew Koch
2.0 credits
M / 6:45-9:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13729

The Wind Ensemble is a 45-member ensemble that features the most outstanding brass, woodwind, and percussion players at the University. The focus of this ensemble is to explore new literature as well as perform the masterworks of the wind band era. The wind ensemble also works with outstanding guest performers and conductors. This group is predominately made up of non-music majors who enjoy the genre of the wind band. Open to all University of Virginia students, auditions are held prior to the start of each semester. For more information on the Wind Ensemble, please visit our webpage at: http://music.virginia.edu/wind-ensemble.

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 3630 Chamber Music Ensembles

Antiphonal Brass Ensemble

1.0 credit, Instructor permission

This outdoor chamber ensemble will explore the wealth of brass music intended to be played in the out-of-doors and large spaces. Brass players of all levels and abilities will be able to engage with others in-person while maintaining a safe social distance between their instruments and bodies. In the case of inclement weather professors will provide recorded presentations on the performance practice, history, architecture, composers, and instruments of this musical genre and its offshoots.

Audition not required, but instructor approval is required. Section number is according to instrument.

Section 5: Low Brass, Nate Lee
Class Number: 13458

Section 6: Trumpet, Arthur Zanin
Class Number: 17148

Section 8: Horn, Katy Ambrose
Class Number: 13457

Double Reed Ensemble

Kelly Peral
1.0 credit
Section 16: TBA
Class Number: 15632

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

Flute Ensemble

Kelly Sulick
1.0 credit
Section 3: TBA
Class Number: 13454

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

The UVA Flute Ensemble will meet online weekly during the Fall semester. We will utilize the most modern technologies to allow small groups of us to perform and rehearse together, and will meet online weekly for a series of coachings, rehearsals, and collaborative sessions. Instead of a final concert, our course will culminate in a collaborative video performance at the end of the semester. Although we won’t be able to rehearse in the same room together, we will still experience the unparalleled joy of music-making together, even while socially distanced. For more information, contact Kelly Sulick at kas6am@virginia.edu.

Jazz Chamber

1.0 credit, Instructor permission by audition.

Section 7: Pete Spaar / R / 5:30-7:00 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 13460

Section 12: Mike Rosensky / F / 12:30-2:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13461

Section 21: Pete Spaar / TBA / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13846

Section 22: Jeff Decker / F / 2:00-3:30 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13847

Percussion Ensemble

I-Jen Fang
1.0-2.0 credit
Section 10: T / 9:30-10:50 am / OCH 101
Class Number: 13459

Restricted to Instructor permission by audition on first day of class.

Re-established in spring 2005 by I-Jen Fang, principal timpanist and percussionist with Charlottesville Symphony, the Percussion Ensemble is a chamber group that performs literature ranging from classical transcriptions to contemporary music. The ensemble draws upon a large family of pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments, and the number of players and amount of equipment varies greatly from piece to piece. Music reading skills and basic percussion technique on all percussion instruments is required. Previous percussion ensemble experience is highly recommended. If you are interested in joining please contact I-Jen Fang.

String Chamber Music

Section 9: Daniel Sender / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 20848

Section 17: Ayn Balija / TBA
Class Number: 13462

Section 18: David Sariti / TBA
Class Number: 13463

Section 20: Adam Carter / TBA
Class Number: 13464

Section 25: John Mayhood / TBA
Class Number: 16219

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

Woodwind Ensemble

Elizabeth Roberts
1.0 credit
Section 4: Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13456

The Bassoon Ensemble explores, rehearses, and performs woodwind chamber music, including both standard and more obscure works. Focus is placed on developing chamber music playing skills, learning the tendencies of the instrument, developing musicianship, and enjoying making and sharing music! For the 2020-2021 academic year, enrolled members will work with the instructor to design appropriate projects. Possibilities include: recording chamber music works to share with schools and/or retirement homes; score study and listening; developing ear training and musicianship skills as they relate to ensemble playing; and offering virtual programs for area students who are enrolled in band programs.

Instructor permission and audition required.

Woodwind Quintet

Jiyeon Choi
1.0 credit
Section 2: TBA
Class Number: 17147

MUEN 3640 Klezmer Ensemble

Joel Rubin
2.0 credit
MW / 7:30-9:30 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 16034

UVA Klezmer Ensemble is a performance-oriented ensemble. Traditionally we have worked on semester-end performances, often featuring world renowned guest artists. This semester will be taught online. We will learn klezmer repertoire and style largely asynchronously, taking turns playing. I teach as much by ear as possible, but there will be charts available. We may create a group recording project towards the end of the semester, depending on our mastering the technology.

Klezmer was originally the ritual and celebratory music of the Yiddish-speaking Jews of Eastern Europe that developed from the 16th century onwards. It was brought to North America by immigrants around the turn of the 20th century. Since the 1970s, a dynamic revival of this tradition has been taking place in America and beyond. Klezmer’s recent popularity has brought it far from its roots into the sphere of mainstream popular culture.

Class will meet once per week for 2 hours on zoom, either Monday 7:30-9:30 pm or Wednesdays at the same time.

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

For more information, please see: http://music.virginia.edu/klezmer.

MUEN 3645 Bluegrass Workshop

Richard Will
1.0 credit, Instructor permission
T / 7:00-8:00 pm / New Cabell Hall 298
Class Number: 15294

This course seeks to develop the playing, singing, and improvising skills necessary for the idomatic performance of bluegrass music, while also providing an opportunity for discussion of its origins and development. Appropriate for experienced players working to improve their knowledge or for players versed in other genres to learn new styles.

MUEN 3646 Bluegrass Band

Richard Will
1.0 credit, Instructor permission
T / 6:00-7:00 pm / New Cabell Hall 298
Class Number: 15876

This course seeks to develop the advanced playing, singing, improvising, and collaborating skills necessary to perform in a traditional bluegrass band, along with knowledge of bluegrass history and repertoire.

Prerequisite: MUEN 3645

MUEN 3650 University Singers

Michael Slon
2.0 credits
MW / 3:30-5:30 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 13466

The University Singers is the University's premier SATB ensemble, performing a cappella and accompanied choral literature ranging from chant to the works of contemporary composers. Past repertoire has included Bach's Mass in B minor, Orff's Carmina Burana, the Duruflé Requiem, and Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, as well as shorter a cappella works. Recent trips have taken the group to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, and the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., as well as the campuses of other American universities for collaborative concerts. The group has also been heard on European tours in England, Italy, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. Recent highlights have included performances with the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia, a concert and workshop with Bobby McFerrin, and a concert tour of the Southeastern U.S.

Students in the University Singers come from all six of UVA's undergraduate schools, including Arts and Sciences, Education, and Engineering, as well as several of the University's graduate and professional schools. Together, they enjoy an esprit de corps that arises from the pursuit of musical excellence and the camaraderie the singers develop offstage.

All singers at the University - undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to audition. University Singers is offered for two hours academic credit. Michael Slon, who has conducted choruses at the Oberlin Conservatory and Indiana University School of Music, is the conductor. For more information on the University Singers, please visit our webpage. 

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 3651 Chamber Singers

Michael Slon
2.0 credits
F / 1:00-3:15 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 13465

Chamber Singers is a select ensemble drawn from the University Singers. The ensemble meets once a week and focuses on music for chamber choir ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary pieces. Recent performances have included the Monteverdi Mass for 4 voices (1651), Britten'sHymn to St. Cecilia, and Bach's Cantata 150, as well as contemporary works by Meredith Monk and Eric Whitacre, and arrangements of classic jazz standards by Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern, and the King's Singers. Interested singers will be considered for the chamber ensemble as part of their University Singers audition. For more information, please visit our webpage.

Restricted to: Instructor permission

MUEN 3660 Ensemble Music with Piano

John Mayhood
2.0 credits
TBA
Class Number: 17088

Studies in the preparation and performance of ensemble music with piano. Focus is on the development of collaborative skills and a practical understanding of cultural and theoretical context. Repertoire to be studied varies from semester to semester.

MUEN 3670 Early Music Ensemble: Baroque Orchestra

David Sariti
2.0 credits
R / 7:00-9:00 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 13776

Baroque Orchestra will meet primarily in-person in Fall 2020. Students use period instruments from the University's collection and learn early attitudes toward performance practice, in the process opening their ears to a new way of thinking about music performance. Contact the Director, David Sariti with questions.

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 3680 New Music Ensemble

I-Jen Fang
1.0 credit
R / 3:30-5:30 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 13467

Restricted to Instructor permission by audition on first day of class.

Performance of vocal and instrumental music of the twentieth century.

A one-credit course at the University of Virginia, the New Music Ensemble explores and performs exciting music of our time. The ensemble consists of dedicated instrumentalists, singers and UVA performance faculty. We perform a wide variety of contemporary music suitable to our instrumentation, including new works created by UVA composers.

The New Music Ensemble seeks dedicated instrumentalists and singers to explore and perform a wide variety of contemporary music. To audition, come to the first class with your instrument. If you are interested in joining please contact I-Jen Fang.

Open to UVA students, community musicians and advanced high school students.

Spring 2021 Undergraduate Courses

MUSI 1310 Basic Musical Skills

3.0 credits

Section 1 (Justin Mueller): MWF / 9:00-9:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10574

Section 2 (Ben Rous): MWF / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10575

Section 3 (Justin Mueller): MWF / 11:00-11:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10573

Study of the rudiments of music and training in the ability to read music.  Prerequisite: No previous knowledge of music required.

MUSI 1410 Symphonic Listening

Ben Rous
3.0 credits
MWF / 11:00-11:50 / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 20416

Discussion Sections:

Section 101 (Juan Vasquez): TBA
Class Number: 20417

Section 102 (Juan Vasquez): TBA
Class Number: 20418

Section 103 (Juan Vasquez): TBA
Class Number: 20419

Symphonic Listening focuses on the sounds and forms of symphonic music. Listening skills are emphasized, with no prior musical knowledge required. We will learn to recognize orchestral instruments by their timbre, discern levels of consonance and dissonance, identify types of textures, and think critically about how musical content expresses cultural context. Students will gain a framework for understanding symphonic music of any genre.

MUSI 2070 Popular Musics

Karl Hagstrom Miller
3.0 credits
Section 100: MW / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18578

Discussion Sections:

Section 101 (Emily Mellen): T / 9:30-10:20 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18608

Section 102 (Emily Mellen): T / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18609

Section 103 (Emily Mellen): T / 12:30-1:20 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18610

Section 104 (Matias Vilaplana Stark): R / 9:30-10:20 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18611

Section 105 (Matias Vilaplana Stark): R / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18612

Section 106 (Matias Vilaplana Stark): R / 12:30-1:20 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18613

Section 107 (Basile Koechlin): T / 9:30-10:20 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18614

Section 108 (Basile Koechlin): T / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18615

Section 109 (Basile Koechlin): T / 12:30-1:20 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18616

MUSI 2090 Sound Studies: The Art and Anthropology Sound Experience

Noel Lobley
3.0 credits
Section 100: MW / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13574

Discussion Section:

Section 103 (Noel Lobley): F / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 20265

We combine creative approaches from sound studies, musicology, anthropology, and composition in order to explore and experience music, sound and artistic practice in their human (and non-human) behavioural contexts. What does music composed through animal dreams sound like? How do we imagine and hear the sounds of underwater and atmospheric anthropology? How do sound art, technology and design transform urban space and everyday social and political experience? How can vibrations both heal and destroy? In answering these and other questions, we investigate local and global immersive sound cultures and trace the ways in which their sounds are sampled, remixed, circulated and experienced.

Blending critical and contextual work with exciting opportunities for creative practice, we will interact and collaborate with a range of sound artists and designers.

Please also note that a co-requisite will be to enroll in a Contemplative Lab, RELG 1559, through which we will be exploring creative Deep Listening practices and more in collaboration with the Contemplative Sciences Center, and the Departments of English and Drama. Please be sure to enroll in both courses as one enrollment action by selecting both courses in the shopping cart and then selecting enroll. This will allow simultaneous enrollment.

No prior musical experience is required.

MUSI 2302 Keyboard Skills (Beginning)

2.0 credits, instructor permission

Section 1 (Chris Luna): TR / 11:00 am - 12:15 pm / Language Commons
Class Number: 10873

Section 2 (Chris Luna): TR / 9:30-10:45 am / Language Commons
Class Number: 11585

Introductory keyboard skills; includes sight-reading, improvisation, and accompaniment at the keyboard in a variety of styles. No previous knowledge of music required. Satisfies the performance requirement for music majors.

MUSI 2304 Keyboard Skills (Intermediate)

John Mayhood
2.0 credits, instructor permission
TR / 12:30-1:45 pm / Language Commons
Class Number: 10874

Intermediate keyboard skills for students with some previous musical experience. Satisfies the performance requirement for music majors. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUSI 2340 Learn to Groove

Robert Jospe
2.0 credits
MW / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 11503

"Learn to Groove" hand drumming and rhythmic fluency with Robert Jospe. This is a hands on drumming/percussion class using congas, djembes, claves, shakers, etc. This class is designed to enhance ones knowledge of syncopated patterns associated with jazz, rock, African and Latin American music and to improve ones facility in playing these patterns. This course will follow my book "Learn To Groove" and can include music students, non music students and is open to students of all skill levels. The course requires that students have or purchase a hand drum of their own. Congas, bongos, djembes, doumbeks or any other hand drums are appropriate.

MUSI 2342 Learn to Groove Intermediate

Robert Jospe
2.0 credits
MW / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 11897

"Learn to Groove" hand drumming and rhythmic fluency with Robert Jospe. This is the intermediate level of the class. It is a hands on drumming/percussion class using congas, djembes, claves, shakers, etc. This class is designed to enhance ones knowledge of syncopated patterns associated with jazz, rock, African and Latin American music and to improve ones facility in playing these patterns.

MUSI 2559 New Course in Music
Topic: Play Guitar! II

Mike Rosensky
2.0 credits, instructor permission
 MW / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 20261

A topic based course that will include:

• Major, Minor, and Pentatonic Scale Positions
• Arpeggios
• Scale Patterns
• Seventh Chords
• Chord Theory/Chords of Higher Tension
• Harmonic Analysis
• Improvisation
• Soloing on the Blues, Blues Scale and Beyond
• Composing Diatonic Chord Progressions
• Basic Chromatic Harmony

MUSI 2600 Jazz Improvisation

John D'earth
3.0 credits
TR / 3:30-5:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 11205

The Jazz Improvisation Workshop explores the basic techniques and procedures for improvising in jazz and other musical contexts. No previous jazz or improvising experience is required but students must demonstrate a degree of fluency on their main instrument, an ability to read music and some familiarity with the basics of music theory. An individual interview/audition with the instructor is required before registering for this class.

MUSI 3030 Studies in 19th-Century Music

Elizabeth Ozment
3.0 credits
TR / 3:30-4:45 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13595

MUSI 3050 Music and Discourse

Fred Maus
3.0 credits
MWF / 1:00-1:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13596

Studies the range of music that has flourished in the twentieth century, including modernist and post-modern art music, popular music, and world music, through historical, critical, and ethnographic approaches.

MUSI 3070 Intro to Musical Ethnography

Nomi Dave
3.0 credits
TR / 9:30-10:45 / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 12800

Why and how does music matter to human beings? What does musical experience look / sound / feel like to particular people and communities? And how can these stories be told ethically and creatively? This course introduces students to the study of music as a fundamentally social practice, through the research method of ethnography. In music, this approach looks beyond notes and musical structures to think of music as part of everyday human life. Our discussions will address key debates in anthropology and ethnomusicology surrounding the ethics and politics of doing research with and representing the experiences of people and communities. The ethics of listening – to sound and to each other – is at the heart of these discussions. As a class, we will develop a year-long ethnographic project, working collectively and collaboratively with a small number of musicians in Charlottesville. Together with the artists, we will design a project that creatively represents the stories of their musical lives. We will also work with WTJU radio to learn recording and production techniques for creative and ethical story-telling.

THIS IS A YEAR-LONG COURSE THROUGH THE COLLEGE’S CIVIC & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM. Students will conduct fieldwork around Charlottesville, and will learn about the history, methods and ethics of music ethnography. Fieldwork will build on the work done by students in 2019-20, to investigate the hidden voices and sites of music in Charlottesville. We will work together with community artists to create a musical map.

**Please note that students are not permitted to enroll for just one semester. Only students enrolled in Fall are permitted to enroll for Spring.**

3120 Jazz Studies

Scott DeVeaux
3.0 credits
MWF / 1:00-1:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18617

MUSI 3310 Theory I

3.0 credits

Section 1 (Scott DeVeaux): MWF / 11:00-11:50 / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 11901

Lecture / Section 2 (Heather Mease): 11:00-11:50 / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 21285

Studies the pitch and rhythmic aspects of several musical styles, including European art music, blues, African drumming, and popular music. Focuses on concepts and notation related to scales and modes, harmony, meter, form, counterpoint, and style.

Prerequisite: Ability to read music, and familiarity with basic concepts of pitch intervals and scales.

MUSI 3320 Theory II

Fred Maus
3.0 credits
MWF / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 12263

Studies pitch and formal organization in European concert music of the 18th and 19th centuries. Includes four-part vocal writing, 18th-century style keyboard accompaniment, key relations, and form. Students compose numerous short passages of music and study significan compositions by period composers.

MUSI 3332 and 3334 Musicianship I and II

2.0 credit

These lab courses give practical experience with many aspects of musical perception, performance, and creation. These will include sight-reading and sight-singing; dictation of melody, rhythm, and harmony; aural identification of intervals, chords, and rhythmic patterns; and exercises in musical memory and improvisation. Students entering the sequence take a test to determine the appropriate level of their first course. At the end of each course, students take a placement test to determine whether they may enter a higher-level course. Courses may be repeated for credit, but each course may be counted toward the major only once.

MUSI 3332 Musicianship I

Adam Carter
MWF / 12:00-12:50 pm / OCH 101 Auditorium
Class Number: 10576

MUSI 3334 Musicianship II

Becky Brown
MWF / 12:00-12:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10577

MUSI 3342 Learn to Groove Advanced

Robert Jospe
2.0 credits
MW / 1:00-1:50 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 14228

Advanced- Learn To Groove is offered to students who are majoring in music and/or currently playing in percussion ensembles, the orchestra, the marching band and/or have taken and done well in Learn To Groove MUSI 2342. This course is designed for students to gain a broad understanding and facility through hand drumming of the rhythmic language associated with West and Central African, Caribbean, Brazilian, and contemporary styles of jazz, rock and funk from the United States. Students who take this course will be able articulate rhythmic patterns that form the foundation of dance music played throughout the Americas as well as how West and Central African rhythms have influenced the dance music and rhythms of the Americas.

This course builds on the material from Learn To Groove 2340 and 2342 and will focus on six alternative hand patterns in 4/4 and 6/8 for the clave rhythms in the Learn To Groove course book as well as extended polyrhythms, soloing and playing in odd meters. Indian rhythms and a piece written for the Mridangam from India will also be included in the live performance. Drum circle leadership skills will also be included. This class includes a recital performance of "Groove Passage-LTG" an original composition written for the class. The performance will feature the full ensemble as well as individual solos.

The course requires that students have a hand drum of their own as well as the course book Learn To Groove. 8"-12" Djembes are recommended.

MUSI 3380 Introduction to Composition

Leah Reid
3.0 credits
Section 100: TR / 12:30-1:45 / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13600

Discussion Sections:

Section 101 (Rachel Gibson): W / 9:00-9:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 

Section 102 (Rachel Gibson): W / 10:00-10:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 

Section 103 (Rachel Gibson): W / 11:00-11:50 am / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 

MUSI 3380 explores compositional techniques in Western concert music of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Students will learn to compose in a variety of styles, and will explore innovative approaches to harmony, rhythm, timbre, texture, and compositional form. We will improvise, listen to, analyze, and discuss new music and compositional techniques. The goal of this course is to expose you to multiple compositional techniques and let you experiment! Coursework will primarily focus on creative and composition exercises, as well as readings, listening, analyses, and short writing assignments. Students will apply their knowledge towards a final composition project. 

Prerequisite: Permission from the instructor. It is recommended that students will have taken MUSI 3310, a prior theory class, or be proficient with scales, intervals, and basic harmony.

MUSI 3400 Ecoacoustics

Matthew Burtner
GTA: Omar Fraire
3.0 credits
TR / 2:00-3:15 / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13601

MUSI 3559 New Course in Music
Topic: Make Beats

Ted Coffey
3.0 credits
TR / 2:00-3:15 / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18590

Make Beats introduces students to technologies, techniques, and histories of beat making. The course covers hardware such as turntables, microphones, drum machines, synthesizers, samplers, mixing boards, and recorders, as well as software applications (e.g., DAWs) that model such technologies ‘in the box’. While previous experience with computer science is not required, the course will require students to synthesize and sequence sound from scratch via the cross-platform Max programming language, learning about acoustics and computer music along the way. We will practice critical listening to exemplars across genres, and work to reverse engineer what we hear. Key projects will focus on creative practice, applying course content to the composition of original beats and tracks.

4523 Issues in Ethnomusicology
Topic: African Electronic Music

Noel Lobley
3.0 credits
MW / 2:00-3:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 12458

African cities and urban areas have long been places for some of the most futuristic music being created, diverse sounds that reverberate between local identities and international avant garde music scenes. Explosive, hypnotic and ultra-modern electronic sounds meld stunning dance forms with musical theatre and fashion, articulating the urban youth experience in cities as diverse and vibrant as Jo'Burg, Nairobi, Kinshasha, Lagos and Durban.

We will engage multiplex genres of futuristic music, including Congotronics, Shangaan Electro, and Gqom apocalyptic bass music, paying close attention to innovations in artistic practice, remix culture and Afrofuturism. We will explore the histories and futures of the sounds linking African beat making, technology, guitars, and the dynamics of twenty-first century amplified African cityscapes.

Blending critical and contextual work with exciting opportunities for creative practice, we will imagine and co-design project work with a collective network of African artists from The Black Power Station, a Pan-African arts collective in Makhanda, South Africa.

No prior musical experience is required.

MUSI 4525 Topics in Ethnomusicology

Joel Rubin
3.0 credits
TR / 11:00 am - 12:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18587

Music of Multicultural America” looks at American traditional and popular musics from a cross-cultural and multi-ethnic perspective. We will examine the traditions most often called “roots music,” including African-American blues and southern old-time string band music, which influenced the development of rock and roll and country and western. We will also study a wide range of other ethnic musical traditions, from Native American pow wows and Cajun to salsa, klezmer and Balkan-Gypsy-punk, which have influenced popular music-making of the past twenty-five years. Along the way we will treat a complex and shifting web of associated ideas, such as authenticity, heritage, nationalism, and multiculturalism, and the musical or music-marketing categories of folk, roots, indie rock, neo-cabaret, and world music. We will ask how “roots” traditions have fed into various definitions of “American-ness” over the years and how that fits into the current social and political climate. This course is designed for music majors, but others may apply with instructor permission. For non-majors, musical literacy is not a requirement. By petition, it can fulfill the Second Writing Requirement.

MUSI 4543 Sound Studio

Ted Coffey
3.0 credits
R / 4:00-6:30 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18648

Pre-requisite: MUSI 3390, Permission of the Instructor

This upper-level seminar explores experimental techniques in sound recording, processing, mixing, and music production generally. The course assumes proficiency with DAWs, including experience using basic, commercial effects such as EQ, compression, and time-based effects. We will use MaxMSP (https://cycling74.com/products/max/) to create custom applications for playing with sound. Participants will find past experience with MaxMSP, other sound synthesis software languages, and-or programming / scripting languages helpful; however, willingness to embrace MaxMSP and thinking algorithmically will suffice. Beyond this technological focus, we will look at the role of instrumental performance in sound design — particularly experimental and so-called extended technique. Listening and reading assignments will complement weekly creative projects. Creative work will culminate in a final portfolio of sound design and songs.

4582 Composition II

Leah Reid
3.0 credits
TR / 9:30-10:45 / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 

MUSI 4582 is an upper-level music composition course. Students will receive a combination of individual lessons and group sessions. The course will provide a forum for students to listen, discuss, workshop, develop, and explore inspirations, compositions, and ideas. Over the course of the semester, students are expected to compose a large-scale work or a series of smaller works in the style of their choosing. Students may compose electronic, acoustic, or electroacoustic music. The course may be repeated for credit with approval of the instructor.

Prerequisite: Students are expected to have some prior composition experience and should be comfortable with standard music notation or DAWs. While not required, it is recommended that students have taken MUSI 3370, 3380, 3390, participated in UVA’s Composers Collective, or taken another music composition course prior to taking MUSI 4582.

4610 Sound Synthesis and Control: Designing New Musical Instruments

Luke Dahl
3.0 credits
TR / 11:00 am - 12:15 pm / Hybrid: Online & NCH 299A
Class Number: 18603

New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) is a field that explores new ways of performing music with technology. NIME is interdisciplinary, incorporating perspectives from music, sculpture, engineering, human-computer interaction (HCI), and design. In this class we will learn the basic skills needed to design and build new musical instruments. We will implement real-time digital sound synthesis algorithms using the PureData visual programming language, which will run on the Bela embedded audio system. And we will use electronics sensors to measure user’s gestures as input data. The class is primarily project based, and we will prototype a number of new musical instruments and interactions. Students are expected to have experience using computers for music-making, such as MUSI 3390 or MUSI 2350, and experience with PureData or Max is highly desirable.

MUSI 4770 Choral Arranging

Michael Slon
3.0 credits
MW / 2:00-3:15 / Hybrid
Class Number: 18607

This class will explore the art of writing for chorus and small vocal ensemble and will aim at developing practical skills in creating and transcribing arrangements. Students will study a variety of examples from the repertoire, and attention will be paid to fundamentals of writing for the voice, setting text, etc. In addition, the class will serve as workshop chorus, such that student arrangements can be performed and studied in the classroom.

Prerequisites: MUSI 3310 or Instructor permission. A basic knowledge of music theory, and a basic ability to sing from written sources will prove essential.

Spring 2021 Graduate Courses

MUSI 7509 Cultural and Historical Studies of Music
Topic: Sounds of Anachronism/Temporal Syncopation

Bonnie Gordon
3.0 credits
W / 9:30 am - 12:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18604

This interdisciplinary graduate seminar plays with the vibrations between pre-modern sounds and current theoretical and political issues. We will approach history and stories not as a way to restore the past but as a way to create a hybrid present. What does Virgil’s portrayal of the goddess Rumor personified in a seventeenth-century opera have to do with a tweetstorm? What is the historical relationship between fiction and dis-information? How do scholars and artists create and transform originary myths? How do emotional and sensory responses affect the doing of history? How do we sound the past in our lives and work? The seminar will begin with two case studies. We will examine the Italian castrato as a premodern cyborg voice from the Global South and as a figure that asks questions about the limits of the human. We will also look at ancient and medieval roots of the settler colonialism of Jamestown as a way to hear the acoustemology of race and the governing of sound in early America and as a precursor to the entanglement of music and race that plays out today. The class will provide a space to do history through creative work or digital humanities. Theoretical readings include Kara Keeling’s Queer Times, Black Futures; Jacques Derrida’s Archive Fever; Amitov Ghosh’s, In an Antique Land, and Elizabeth Freeman’s Time Binds: Queer Temporalities, Queer Histories. Students will also work with digital archives and contemporary creative projections that engage archives and the past. Students need not be in the music department or read music for this class. There will be ample time for students to pursue their own interests. Projects will be tailored to fit the precarity of the Zoom semester and of the humanities and arts in general.

MUSI 7510 Cultural and Historical Studies of Music
Topic: Music, Mimesis, Modernity

Michael Puri
3.0 credits
T / 9:30 am - 12:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 14253

“If human beings suddenly ceased imitating, all forms of culture would vanish.” Drawing inspiration from this striking claim by René Girard, this seminar will ask and seek to answer several questions. In the history of mimesis, what has been imitated, by whom, with what means, and to what end? How and why have western attitudes toward mimesis changed, particularly over the past two centuries? And how does mimesis figure into western musical theory and practice? The ability to decipher western musical notation will help you to read certain assigned texts, but is neither expected nor required.

MUSI 7520 Current Studies in Research and Criticism

Richard Will
3.0 credits
R / 9:30 am - 12:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 18605

Western musicians, poets, and collectors have been inventing “folk music” since the 18^th century, presenting songs (mainly) as expressive of community and place. Serving both progressive and conservative political agendas, they have played a significant role in constructing the social and national boundaries of modernity. This seminar examines the origins of folk music as a concept, its development through 19^th- and 20^th-century revival movements, and its role in promoting or resisting hierarchies of race, gender, class, and national identity. While focusing on the U.S. and U.K., we will consider the repercussions of folk music ideologies globally, and students are welcome to explore any affected community or place.

MUSI 7540 Computer Sound Generation and Spatial Processing
Topic: Digital Signal Processing for Musicians

Luke Dahl
3.0 credits
M / 2:00-4:30 / Hybrid
Class Number: 18606

As musicians and composers we frequently use software tools to modify digital sound. Our ability to effectively deploy these techniques can be improved by understanding what digital sound is, how sounds are changed by these processes, and how they work “under the hood.” Audio Digital Signal Processing (DSP) may seem like technical wizardry, but in this class we will begin to demystify the processes and terms.  What is the frequency domain and why is it important? How does a Fourier Transform work?  What is a filter, how is one built, and why do some of them have poles? Etc. The class will be both hands-on (we will be analyzing and modifying sounds by writing code in Matlab), and theoretical (which may require re-acquainting yourself with some math).

MUSI 7547 Materials of Contemporary Music

Leah Reid
3.0 credits
W / 2:00-4:30 / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13603

Spring 2021 Curricular Ensembles

MUBD 2601 Basketball Band

Andrew Koch
1.0 credits
Hunter Smith Band Building
Class Number: 11326

The Basketball Band performs at every home men's and women's basketball game at the John Paul Jones Arena and all post season tournament games. Much of the music must be performed memorized. New music is introduced on a weekly basis. Students enrolling in Basketball Band must be a member of the current year's marching band course (MUBD 2610, 2620, 2630, or 2640).

MUEN 2600 Concert Band

Michael Idzior & Andrew Koch
1.0 credits
W / 6:30-8:45 pm / Hunter Smith Band Building
Class Number: 10545

The University of Virginia Concert Band is a large wind ensemble, conducted by Michael Idzior & Andrew Koch in the Spring Semester. Its membership is composed of dedicated students from every division and department within the University. Music selections have included standard band literature, pop music, and concertos with special guest artists. Concert Band members stay involved in making music in an ensemble setting while exploring both new literature and old favorites. For more information on the Concert Band, please contact the directors via email at bands@virginia.edu.

MUEN 2650 MICE Ensemble

Matthew Burtner
1.0 credit
T / 4:15-5:30 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 13045

MUEN 3600 Jazz Ensemble

John D'earth
2.0 credits
MR / 7:30-9:30 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10546

Led by internationally recognized jazz trumpeter/composer John D'earth, the Jazz Ensemble is a full-sized jazz big band, whose focus includes “head arrangements” group improvisation, world music and original compositions from within the band, along with music ranging from swing to bop to fusion. You'll gain valuable experience in ensemble playing and in the art of solo improvisation, and may take private instruction in jazz improvisation, perform in small combos and participate in jazz workshops held by such major figures as Michael Brecker, John Abercrombi, Dave Leibman, Bob Moses, Clark Terry, and Joe Henderson.

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 3610 Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia

Ben Rous, Conductor
2.0 credits

Strings

Section 100: W / 7:30-10:00 pm / Hybrid
Class Number: 10547

Sectionals: M / 5:30-7:00 pm

Section 101: Pete Spaar (Double Bass) / TBA
Class Number: 10549

Section 103: Ayn Balija (Viola) / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10550

Section 104: Daniel Sender (Violin) / TBA
Class Number: 10551

Section 105: David Sariti (Violin) / TBA
Class Number: 10552

Section 106: Adam Carter (Cello) / TBA
Class Number: 11403

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

Brass / Woodwinds / Percussion

Section 200: W / 7:30-10:00 pm / Hybrid
Class Number: 10548

Sectionals: 

Section 201: Elizabeth Roberts (Bassoon) / W / 5:15-6:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 20279

Section 202: Katy Ambrose (Horn) / W / 6:00-7:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 14267

Section 203: Kelly Sulick (Flute) / W / 5:15-6:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10553

Section 205: Kelly Peral (Oboe) / W / 5:15-6:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10554

Section 206: I-Jen Fang (Percussion) / W / 6:00-7:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10555

Section 207: Arthur Zanin (Trumpet) / W / 6:00-7:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10556

Section 208: Nate Lee (Trombone) / W / 6:00-7:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 20281

Section 209: Jiyeon Choi (Clarinet) / W / 5:15-6:15 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 12799

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 3620 Wind Ensemble

Drew Koch
2.0 credits
M / 6:45-9:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10871

The Wind Ensemble is a 45-member ensemble that features the most outstanding brass, woodwind, and percussion players at the University. The focus of this ensemble is to explore new literature as well as perform the masterworks of the wind band era. The wind ensemble also works with outstanding guest performers and conductors. This group is predominately made up of non-music majors who enjoy the genre of the wind band. Open to all University of Virginia students, auditions are held prior to the start of each semester. For more information on the Wind Ensemble, please visit our webpage at: http://music.virginia.edu/wind-ensemble.

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 3630 Chamber Music Ensembles

Antiphonal Brass Ensemble

1.0 credit
Restricted to: Instructor permission

This outdoor chamber ensemble will explore the wealth of brass music intended to be played in the out-of-doors and large spaces. Brass players of all levels and abilities will be able to engage with others in-person while maintaining a safe social distance between their instruments and bodies. In the case of inclement weather professors will provide recorded presentations on the performance practice, history, architecture, composers, and instruments of this musical genre and its offshoots.

Audition not required, but instructor approval is required. Section number is according to instrument.

Section 19: Low Brass, Nate Lee
Class Number: 11505

Section 14: Trumpet, Arthur Zanin
Class Number: 20283

Section 3: Horn, Katy Ambrose
Class Number: 10559

Double Reed Ensemble

Kelly Peral
1.0 credit
Section 4: TBA
Class Number: 12684

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

Flute Ensemble

Kelly Sulick
1.0 credit
Section 5: TBA
Class Number: 10560

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

The UVA Flute Ensemble will meet online weekly during the Fall semester. We will utilize the most modern technologies to allow small groups of us to perform and rehearse together, and will meet online weekly for a series of coachings, rehearsals, and collaborative sessions. Instead of a final concert, our course will culminate in a collaborative video performance at the end of the semester. Although we won’t be able to rehearse in the same room together, we will still experience the unparalleled joy of music-making together, even while socially distanced. For more information, contact Kelly Sulick at kas6am@virginia.edu.

Jazz Chamber

1.0 credit
Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

Section 10: Pete Spaar / T / 5:30-7:00 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 10562

Section 11: Jeff Decker / F / 2:00-3:30 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10563

Section 12: Mike Rosensky / F / 12:30-2:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10564

Section 13: Pete Spaar / R / 5:15-6:45 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 10565

Percussion Ensemble

I-Jen Fang
1.0-2.0 credit
Section 1: T / 7:30-10:00 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10557

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

Re-established in spring 2005 by I-Jen Fang, principal timpanist and percussionist with Charlottesville Symphony, the Percussion Ensemble is a chamber group that performs literature ranging from classical transcriptions to contemporary music. The ensemble draws upon a large family of pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments, and the number of players and amount of equipment varies greatly from piece to piece. Music reading skills and basic percussion technique on all percussion instruments is required. Previous percussion ensemble experience is highly recommended. If you are interested in joining please contact I-Jen Fang.

String Chamber Music

Section 15: Daniel Sender / TBA
Class Number: 10566

Section 17: Ayn Balija / TBA
Class Number: 10568

Section 16: David Sariti / TBA
Class Number: 10567

Section 18: Adam Carter / TBA
Class Number: 10569

Section 20: John Mayhood / TBA
Class Number: 13228

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

Woodwind Ensemble

Elizabeth Roberts
1.0 credit
Section 2: Online Synchronous
Class Number: 10558

The Bassoon Ensemble explores, rehearses, and performs woodwind chamber music, including both standard and more obscure works. Focus is placed on developing chamber music playing skills, learning the tendencies of the instrument, developing musicianship, and enjoying making and sharing music! For the 2020-2021 academic year, enrolled members will work with the instructor to design appropriate projects. Possibilities include: recording chamber music works to share with schools and/or retirement homes; score study and listening; developing ear training and musicianship skills as they relate to ensemble playing; and offering virtual programs for area students who are enrolled in band programs.

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

Woodwind Quintet

Jiyeon Choi
1.0 credit
Section 8: TBA
Class Number: 10561

MUEN 3640 Klezmer Ensemble

Joel Rubin
2.0 credit
MW / 7:30-9:30 pm / Online Synchronous
Class Number: 20481

UVA Klezmer Ensemble is a performance-oriented ensemble. Traditionally we have worked on semester-end performances, often featuring world renowned guest artists. This semester will be taught online. We will learn klezmer repertoire and style largely asynchronously, taking turns playing. I teach as much by ear as possible, but there will be charts available. We may create a group recording project towards the end of the semester, depending on our mastering the technology.

Klezmer was originally the ritual and celebratory music of the Yiddish-speaking Jews of Eastern Europe that developed from the 16th century onwards. It was brought to North America by immigrants around the turn of the 20th century. Since the 1970s, a dynamic revival of this tradition has been taking place in America and beyond. Klezmer’s recent popularity has brought it far from its roots into the sphere of mainstream popular culture.

Class will meet once per week for 2 hours on zoom, either Monday 7:30-9:30 pm or Wednesdays at the same time.

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

For more information, please see: http://music.virginia.edu/klezmer.

MUEN 3645 Bluegrass Workshop

Richard Will
1.0 credit
T / 7:00-8:00 pm / New Cabell Hall 298
Class Number: 11801

This course seeks to develop the playing, singing, and improvising skills necessary for the idomatic performance of bluegrass music, while also providing an opportunity for discussion of its origins and development. Appropriate for experienced players working to improve their knowledge or for players versed in other genres to learn new styles.

Restricted to: Instructor permission

MUEN 3646 Bluegrass Band

Richard Will
1.0 credit
T / 6:00-7:00 pm / New Cabell Hall 298
Class Number: 12363

This course seeks to develop the advanced playing, singing, improvising, and collaborating skills necessary to perform in a traditional bluegrass band, along with knowledge of bluegrass history and repertoire.

Prerequisite: MUEN 3645
Restricted to: Instructor permission

MUEN 3650 University Singers

Michael Slon
2.0 credits
MW / 3:30-5:30 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 10571

The University Singers is the University's premier SATB ensemble, performing a cappella and accompanied choral literature ranging from chant to the works of contemporary composers. Past repertoire has included Bach's Mass in B minor, Orff's Carmina Burana, the Duruflé Requiem, and Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, as well as shorter a cappella works. Recent trips have taken the group to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, and the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., as well as the campuses of other American universities for collaborative concerts. The group has also been heard on European tours in England, Italy, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. Recent highlights have included performances with the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia, a concert and workshop with Bobby McFerrin, and a concert tour of the Southeastern U.S.

Students in the University Singers come from all six of UVA's undergraduate schools, including Arts and Sciences, Education, and Engineering, as well as several of the University's graduate and professional schools. Together, they enjoy an esprit de corps that arises from the pursuit of musical excellence and the camaraderie the singers develop offstage.

All singers at the University - undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to audition. University Singers is offered for two hours academic credit. Michael Slon, who has conducted choruses at the Oberlin Conservatory and Indiana University School of Music, is the conductor. For more information on the University Singers, please visit our webpage. 

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 3651 Chamber Singers

Michael Slon
2.0 credits
F / 1:00-3:15 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 10570

Chamber Singers is a select ensemble drawn from the University Singers. The ensemble meets once a week and focuses on music for chamber choir ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary pieces. Recent performances have included the Monteverdi Mass for 4 voices (1651), Britten'sHymn to St. Cecilia, and Bach's Cantata 150, as well as contemporary works by Meredith Monk and Eric Whitacre, and arrangements of classic jazz standards by Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern, and the King's Singers. Interested singers will be considered for the chamber ensemble as part of their University Singers audition. For more information, please visit our webpage.

Restricted to: Instructor permission

MUEN 3660 Ensemble Music with Piano

John Mayhood
2.0 credits
TBA
Class Number: 12690

Studies in the preparation and performance of ensemble music with piano. Focus is on the development of collaborative skills and a practical understanding of cultural and theoretical context. Repertoire to be studied varies from semester to semester.

MUEN 3670 Early Music Ensemble: Baroque Orchestra

David Sariti
2.0 credits
R / 7:00-9:00 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 10872

Baroque Orchestra will meet primarily in-person in Fall 2020. Students use period instruments from the University's collection and learn early attitudes toward performance practice, in the process opening their ears to a new way of thinking about music performance. Contact the Director, David Sariti with questions.

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 3680 New Music Ensemble

I-Jen Fang
1.0 credit
R / 3:30-5:30 pm / OCH 101
Class Number: 10572

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

Performance of vocal and instrumental music of the twentieth century.

A one-credit course at the University of Virginia, the New Music Ensemble explores and performs exciting music of our time. The ensemble consists of dedicated instrumentalists, singers and UVA performance faculty. We perform a wide variety of contemporary music suitable to our instrumentation, including new works created by UVA composers.

The New Music Ensemble seeks dedicated instrumentalists and singers to explore and perform a wide variety of contemporary music. To audition, come to the first class with your instrument. If you are interested in joining please contact I-Jen Fang.

Open to UVA students, community musicians and advanced high school students.